"This & That" Tuesday: Sexual Harassment, Disability Discrimination

June 30, 2015

 

Here is the latest issue of “This & That” Tuesday. I hope you find it to be informative and useful.

 

Announcements

You can always check out my website for upcoming speaking engagements that are guaranteed to be of value to business owners or for a list of topics that I can speak on at Chambers, Clubs, Business Associations, etc. More details about the events, topics and Human Resources 4U, in general, can be found on my website.

 

Upcoming Events

July 15, 2015

West Inland Empire Employer Advisory Council

Coaching to Improve Performance

Information can be found on my website.

 

July 22 2015

Industry Manufacturers Council

HR4U 101 Full-day Workshop

Information can be found on my website.

 

September 15, 2015

Irwindale Chamber of Commerce

Hiring Talent for Consistent Performance

Information can be found on my website.

 

SunTrust Bank Pays $300,000 to Settle Sexual Harassment Lawsuit 

SunTrust Bank, a large regional bank, will pay $300,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The EEOC had charged the company with subjecting three female employees at a Sarasota, Fla., branch to sexual harassment by the branch manager.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, SunTrust's branch manager subjected the women to ongoing harassment, including repeatedly trapping a 20-year-old female behind the teller counter with his body; telling a woman she should wear a bathing suit to work; regularly staring at women's breasts; and frequently caressing and grabbing a female employee. He would also stare at, and comment on, the breasts and bodies of SunTrust's female clients who came into the branch.

The EEOC said that numerous complaints by female employees to the assistant branch manager and other SunTrust branch managers were ignored, and once human resources became involved, SunTrust failed to take sufficient action to stop the harassment. Further, during the course of EEOC's investigation into the discrimination charges, the branch manager voluntarily resigned, and was subsequently rehired by SunTrust.

Under the consent decree resolving the EEOC's claims, besides the monetary relief, SunTrust Bank has agreed to conduct annual, live training for its managers and human resources personnel in Southwest Florida, which the EEOC will be able to watch by live streaming video. SunTrust will also post a notice about the lawsuit in its Southwest Florida branches, and report future sexual harassment complaints to the EEOC.

House of Raeford Farms Pays $52,000 to Settle Disability Discrimination Suit

House of Raeford Farms, Inc., a North Carolina poultry processor, will pay $52,000 and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the EEOC.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Erica Sutton, who has anemia, was employed by House of Raeford on a box construction line. The box line employees were moved to the debone department, which is a cold environment. Sutton informed her supervisor that she could not work in a cold environment due to her anemia, asking to work in a warmer environment. The EEOC said that instead of assigning Sutton to a vacant position in a warmer environment, House of Raeford sent Sutton home until she could provide a doctor's note stating that she had been diagnosed with anemia. The EEOC charged that instead of allowing Sutton time to get the doctor's note, House of Raeford fired her. The EEOC also charged that House of Raeford unlawfully disclosed Sutton's confidential medical information.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects employees from discrimination based on their disabilities and requires employers to provide disabled employees with reasonable accommodations unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer to do so.

In addition to the monetary damages, which total $52,073.54, the two-year consent decree settling the suit requires that House of Raeford develop a discrimination policy which includes the ADA. In addition, House of Raeford will provide annual training to its managers and supervisors at its Rose Hill facility on the ADA and post an employee notice at the facility concerning the lawsuit and employee rights under federal anti-discrimination laws.

 

Factoids

• 58% of employers reported hiring someone with a criminal background
• 6 in 10 managers surveyed say they have taken adverse action against an employee for inappropriate dress at work.
• 50% of surveyed employers sy they have no formal plan for the hiring and retention of employees with disabilities.
• 65% of college grads report being employed but only 49% of them are working in a job that requires a degree.

 

Quote of the Blog

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

~Arthur Ashe~